Running Man's Gary denies being in viral sex tape
On Saturday (Aug 29), a sex video that was leaked online went viral not just because of its graphic content.
In the clip, seemingly shot in a hotel room, a TV can be heard in the background but the conversation between the couple is hardly audible.
The woman, at one point, says: "It's too bright in here."
In the four-minute clip, the naked man's face is shown.
He bears an uncanny resemblance to Korean rapper Kang Gary of hip hop duo Leessang, more popularly known as just Gary, and famed for being one of the cast members of hit Korean variety show Running Man.
The man even had tattoos that looked like Gary's.
While the video spread like wildfire on the Internet, the 37-year-old star's silence served to further fuel the rumours that his tryst in a hotel room with an unidentified woman had indeed been caught on hidden camera.
On Monday (Aug 31), Gary finally broke his silence.
KDramaStars reported that his agency, Leessang Company, issued a strongly-worded statement denying that the singer was the man in the video.
A spokesman from the agency told Naver TV that they would take legal action against anyone spreading rumours that it was Gary.
The spokesman also said that when they first heard about the rumours, they didn't think that they were worth addressing.
"Gary is a victim but so are the man and woman in the video. (Gary) said that since the man may be misunderstood by the public and be inconvenienced, he just said to bury (the case).
"The video is continuously being spread, and though Gary didn't say much, someone out there thinks it is Gary.
"We thought it'd be better to tell the truth instead of letting the misunderstanding escalate."
To prove that it wasn't Gary in the sex tape, the spokesman said that the man in the video had a tattoo on his left arm while Gary's one is on his right arm.
Both tattoos of village guardians, although similar, are not the same.
A jangseung or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark village boundaries and scare away demons.
Gary himself took to Instagram two days ago and captioned his post (below) with "Goodnight!" and tagging it with the Korean words #totem and #yushitattoo.
His fans commented on his post saying that they were behind him all the way.
Wrote meanean: "Gary oppa fighting! Please don't worry about it. Always beside you."
Wrote thuongdenor: "I have every confidence in Gary oppa."
Wrote nashy95: "Observing you for 5 years in Running Man makes me believe that its impossible for you to do it (be the man in the video).
"Don't mind them (what other people say)."
According to Allkpop, Leessang's spokesman has also said that the man in the tape has come forward and contacted them.
The man has apparently expressed his concern that he was worried his video has affected the singer.
The spokesman said that they intend to have the police conduct an investigation to find out who first uploaded the sex tape online.
In the meantime, the spokesman has asked the public not to spread these rumours or circulate the video because "it hurts Gary and the couple in the video".
KDramaStars reported that a man was just arrested last week for allegedly spreading rumours that there was a sex tape involving Korean actress Lee Si Young.
If convicted, the man will be slapped with a jail term and a fine.
Source: KDramaStars, Allkpop
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